Monthly Archive: December 2013

The legislature has enacted specific guidelines for errant student behavior beginning in 2014. Specifically an option for flexibility to school administrators when dealing previously with court action offenses and further information about bullying and creating a bully-free environment. The first guideline should be welcome to school principals/assistant principals; the second sounds good but will it work in practice? …

The Governor’s proposed amendments to the fiscal year 2014 state budget (the “Caboose Bill”) were released yesterday, December 16th. These amendments will be reviewed by the General Assembly when they begin the new session on January 8, 2014. You may access this information at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2013/326-13.shtml A more detailed description of the 2014-2016 Biennial Budget …

Governor Bob McDonnell released his FY 2015/2016 (and final) budget with $582.6 million of increased funding fore the biennium for k-12 and pre-kindegarten education. Speaking for the new funding for K-12 education, the governor noted “It has been said that providing high quality schools for all children, and thus greater access to the American Dream, is …

A November 27 blog in the Principal Difference outlined an interesting proposal from the Search Institute about providing students the opportiunity to rate or grade their schools and teachers just as they (students) get report cards indicating their progress/success. In the NASSP blog, Mel Riddle uses three sources to make the case that students can provide feedback …

If you have had enough of this round of PISA results and how we compare or do not compare to other nations in the world, then this blog is for you. In the December 4th Ed Week blogs, Rick Hess has the commentary you will like, “7 Reasons I Don’t Care About the PISA Results.” …

Most all administrators keep a daily or weekly (or both) “to do” list which helps keep track of your responsibilities and duties. School administrators in particular are prone to having these lists. Buildings with seversl hundred or more students, numerous adults and of course school board offoce staff that need your responses all add up …

The “Digital Divide” for Virginia students may get legislative assistance in the upcoming session of the General Assembly in 2014. Online textbooks are becoming more and more common in Virginia school divisions, but for many Virginia families, there is no internet connection in their homes. One Virginia delegate is proposing legislation to assist these families. …

The State Board of Education has released the 2013 Annual Report on the Condition and Needs of Public Schools in Virginia. The report is quite lengthy and you may access it at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/reports/annual_reports/2013.pdf. One of the categories listed in the report is item III, Critical Needs of the Public Schools in Virginia. As you are …